H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in the presence of the Secretary General of the UITP H.E. Alain Flausch, has received members of the International Youth for Public Transport Foundation as well as members of the Dubai Youth for Public Transport (Y4PT); who act as ambassadors in raising the awareness about the importance of public transport.

The gathering was attended by Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla, RTA Board Member and Chairman of the Higher Committee of the MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition, Mrs. Alessandra GORINI, Executive Director of the International Youth for Public Transport Foundation, and 34 youths hailing from 19 countries.

At the outset of the gathering, Al Tayer welcomed members of the Y4PT Foundation wishing them nice stay in the UAE and invited them to benefit from this visit in exploring the rich tourist, cultural, historical and urban potentials found in abundance in the UAE, besides acquainting with RTA’s experience in providing an integrated infrastructure for public transport systems.

“The RTA has developed a master integrated plan for uplifting public transport systems in Dubai Emirate focused on raising the profile of Dubai as a pioneering city worldwide and a suitable, safe and sustainable place for living. The plan has been put into action through a host of projects in the fields of rail, buses, marine transit modes, traffic systems and road networks. The Dubai Metro, comprising the Red and Green Lines, is the backbone of public transport in Dubai where the metro riders savour state-of-the-art systems & facilities with top-class finishing, and super quality services. The metro ridership currently hovers around 450-500 thousand riders per day, and Dubai is bracing itself for yet another quality addition to its rail network service offerings with the launch of the Dubai Tram project; the third project worldwide powered by ground cabling system stretching all over the track, with no overhead cables involved to provide electric feed,” he continued.

“Public buses play a key role in providing mobility services to the populace of the Emirate with a fleet comprising 1572 buses including 347 articulated buses, and 170 double deckers. The RTA also operate marine transit modes consisting of 155 abras, 10 water buses, 10 water taxis, and 10 ferries; which play a vital role in the mobility of people in the Emirate,” noted Al Tayer.

“These integrated public transport systems have contributed to doubling the share of public transport in the mobility of people from 6% in 2006 to as much as 13% in 2013, as the number of public transport riders rocketed from 163 million riders in 2006 to 440 million riders last year, and the public transport ridership in the Emirate has currently touched 1.2 million riders per day,” explained Al Tayer.

RTA Chairman of the Board and Executive Director expressed hope that the Y4PT Foundation, and the Dubai Y4PT, to join hands in building a global environmental system for youth leaders who share common values, and diffuse the culture of public transport considering it the best option for the mobility of peoples.

The youth commended RTA’s initiative for inviting them to attend the events of the MENA Transport Congress & Exhibition 2014, stating that they were impressed with what they had seen in terms of a unique development pattern in Dubai, and hailed the public transport system provided by the RTA for the residents, and visitors of the Dubai Emirate.